Scalpel
PRETTY

Obsessed with getting the perfect body?
Dr. Talwar tell you all about cosmetic
surgery - THE ART OF SCULPTING IN FLESH & BLOOD

A GREEK myth tells the story of Pygmalion, a sculpter who made such a beautiful statue of a woman that he fell in love with it. In vain, he embraced it until the goddess Aphrodite, seeing his distress, brought the statue to life. Perfection became reality and Pygmalion and his creation Galatea were united at last.

Cosmetic surgeons tell this story to illustrate what they call he Pygmalion complex - the desire to create perfection, not out of marble but out of human flesh. In reality, cosmetic surgery aims at what is possible - a better profile, a younger - looking face, and larger or smaller breasts. A branch of plastic surgery has become a minefield of medical ethics. Its image is not improved by surgeons who are ready to carry out almost any operation a patient requests regardless of the possible outcome, as long as the fee is good.

A process called face peeling can erase small pox and pimple marks. The outer layer of your skin is peeled off, thus smoothening the uneven surface. Deeper scars require two to three sittings of surgical peeling to completely even the surface. When chemical are used for the same procedure, it is known as chemical peeling. Chemical peeling also works on pigmentation problems. The new skin that emerges is usually free of pigments. If it reoccurs, you can repeat the treatment. Post-op, you need to avoid sunlight for three to six months.

 FACE LIFT

From Dolly Parton to Dev Anand - rumour has it they've all got it done. The procedure lifts up sagging skin and spirits. The usual age for getting a face lift used to be mid 50s and 60s. But now even if they are under 3, models, actors, sales girls and receptionists have undergone face lifts. A good one can make you look younger by five to ten years. But remember you can revert the signs of aging but cannot arrest it. So, with time, new wrinkles will appear. Usually you need a second face lift seven to 10 years later. The younger the patient the longer it lasts.From Dolly Parton to Dev Anand - rumour has it they've all got it done. The procedure lifts up sagging skin and spirits. The usual age for getting a face lift used to be mid 50s and 60s. But now even if they are under 3, models, actors, sales girls and receptionists have undergone face lifts. A good one can make you look younger by five to ten years. But remember you can revert the signs of aging but cannot arrest it. So, with time, new wrinkles will appear. Usually you need a second face lift seven to 10 years later. The younger the patient the longer it lasts.

 NOSE JOB ( RHINOPLASTY )

Your nose can be reshaped in different ways: shortened, narrowed, straightened, built up or the tip refined. You can't just pick out a nose from a magazine for yourself. No two faces a re alike and therefore no two noses are either. Chat with your cosmetic surgeon, and let him suggest the solution.

 BREAST RECONTOURING

Pretty much anything is possible. Breasts can be enlarged or reduced and loose ones can be suspended.
To enlarge, it's a simple technique that involves creating behind the breast's tissue or behind the muscle of the chest wall. Artificial breast prosthesis made of silicon gel is inserted into this space via an incision. Breast- feeding is absolutely normal post-op.
Removing excess breast mass through incisions allows breast reduction. During this process the milk ducts are also cut, so it's only suggested to women who have had children.
Suspension of breasts: with ageing, breasts may droop and nipples may point downwards. When you're young, nipples usually point outward. Hence, surgeons concentrate on repositioning them. Excess skin is also cut to tighten the breast tissue.

 BEWARE OF QUACKS

There are many more possibilities with cosmetic surgery. A bald man can have hair through hair transplants, or forehead wrinkles can disappear by forehead lift. A thick lip can be made thinner and vice versa: a deformed ear can be restored to a normal shape. Eyebrows that drop down with age can be elevated to give a more youthful look.
It's important that the right solution is suggested and executed by a reliable, realistic and highly experienced practitioner. Your surgeon should be very judicious in his approach and discuss the possibilities with you in fine details. Avoid those who don't have a degree in plastic surgery ( M. Ch.) and yet claim to be cosmetic surgeons. Then may even be members of associations, but the fact that they are not qualified plastic surgeons is a sign of danger and implies that they are not trained to deal with problems that might arise before, during or post op.